Building structure.



- PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1906.

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No- 838,302 PATENTBD DEC. 11, 1906. S. R. H. GODMAN & D. DESPRADBLLE.

BUILDING STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

252 5065566} fvewfiars: [L Q 9 PATENTED DEG. 1.1, 1906. S. R. H. GODMAN & D. DB'SPRADELLE.

BUILDING STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1906.

4 SHEETSBHEET 4.

THE NORRIS PA'IERS co, wAsmncrom 1.7.cv

UNITED STATE PAT ENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN R. H. CODMAN, OF WESTWOOD, AND DESIRE DESPRADELLE, OF BOSTON, h lASSAOl-IUSETTS.

BUILDING STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1 1. 1906.

Application filed June 22,1906. Serial No, 322,830.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,SrEPnEN R. H. Con- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVestwood, and Diisinn DESPRADELLE, a citizen of France, residing at Boston, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buildings, more particularly to that type of buil ings known as steel-frame buildings, inwhich the walls, floors, &c., are supported by means of a steel-frame structure resting upon the earth foundations.

One of the objects sought by this invention is the devising of a structure which shall remain practically unaffected by earthquake waves and disturbances.

To this end the invention consists in a rigid or immovable supporting-frame resting upon the earth, from which is suspended the frame proper of the building, by which the walls, floors, ceilings, &c., are carried. This and other features of the invention will be more particularly described hereinafter and will be pointed out in the claims forming part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form of arranging the suspension heads or trusses on the rigid or ground supporting-frame. 2 is an elevation illustrating the suspension of the movable wall supporting-frame on the suspensionhead. *igs. 3 and 4 are detail views in transverse planes, respectively, of the oscillatory suspension-head. Fig. 5 shows a modified form of bearing-joint for said suspension-head. 6 is a plan illustrating the relative position of the inner suspended frame and the outer supportingframe. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a possible arrangement of supporting columns and trusses made up in sections to adapt the principle to a building covering a large area. In the practice of our invention we provide a series of vertical iron or steel columns a, resting upon the earth and supporting at their top a system of diagonal trusses b, braced in any suitable manner, above which is mounted the suspension-head upon which the suspended frame is carried.

Of course it will be understood that a great variety of forms of suspension-head can be employed, provision being made to permit a directions.

slight oscillation of said frame in different The structure herein shown for that purpose comprises an upper member or head 0, mounted to tilt or rock slightly about one axis, said upper member being supported upon an intermediate member 0, which is mounted to rock about an axis at right angles to the axis of movement of the upper member. The base of the frame 0 is a stronglybuilt framework provided with a suitable body, as shown at c, for sustaining the intermediate rocking member of the suspensionhead.

The suspension-head is provided in this case with a series of rafially-projecting arms or supports (2, from which are hung the suspenders 6, whose lower ends are attached to the suspended. framef, which comprises vertical string-piecesj" and horizontal beamsf which. form an integral frame into which the walls and floors of brick, terra-cotta, cement, or other suitable material are built.

A powerful resistance to the oscillation of the suspended frame f, which may be regarded as the frame proper of the building, is afforded by means of suitable buffers or springs f, interposed between the vertical columns a of the earth-supported frame and the suspended frame.

Of course it will be understood that even in a severe earthquake disturbance the actual amount of oscillation would be very small. Provision for permitting such oscillation without distorting the pipe connections going into the ground is made by using a sort of flexible arrangement of pipe, as illustrated at g, Fig. 2, the pipe connections being jointed in the form of a spiral coil to allow suflicient flexibility or movement to prevent the breakage of the pipes. l/Nith such arrangement even a large-size pipe can be carried into the interior construction from the ground without danger of breakage.

In Fig. 5 we have shown a modified form of joint for the members of the suspension head, which consists of two opposing beds 0 0, whose opposed faces are channeled or grooved out to receive a cylindrical bar 0.

It will be understood that the particular form and arrangement shown and described is illustrative only of the principle, since the details of construction are susceptible of the very widest variation and modification. EX- perience has shown that an iron or steel frame of proper construction is capable of resisting severe earthquake shocks, although the building itself is subject to great harm as. the breakage of the gas, water, and other" earth connections, is prevented by our invention, inasmuch as the rigid friable walls and floors are supported in a frame capable of moving bodily and which is so supported as to be free from distortion itself. 7 we have illustrated diagrammatically a possible arrangement of columns and crosstrusses for supporting in sections a building covering a wide area in order to show that the principle is capable of adaptation to various sizes and shapes of buildings.

Without attempting to set forth the manifold changes in form, construction, and arrangement that may be made in the practice of our invention, what we claim is 1. A building structure embracing in its construction, a rigid earth-supported frame, and a wall-carrying frame comprising vertical suspenders and horizontal girders carried by said suspenders for supporting the walls and ceilings of the building, said wall-carrying frame being supported at its top by the rigid frame, substantially as described.

2. A building structure embracing in its construction, a rigid earth-supported frame, and a Wall-carrying frame comprising vertical suspenders and horizontal girders carried by said suspenders for supporting the walls and ceilings of the building, said wallcarrying frame being suspended from said rigid frame by means of a universal joint, substantially as described.

3. A building structure embracing in its construction, a rigid earth-supported frame provided at its top with a supporting-head,

and a wall-supporting and floor-carrying frame suspended from said head, substantially as described.

4. An invention of the class described embracing in its construction, rigid columns In Fig.

connected at their top by cross-trusses, a suspension-head supported above said crosstrusses to oscillate in all directions, and a wall-supporting frame comprising vertical and horizontal beams joined together suspended from said oscillatory head, substantially as described.

5. An invention of the class described embracing in its construction, a ri id steel earth-supported frame, and a supp emental frame suspended therefrom by a universal joint, said supplemental frame being constructed and arranged to carry the walls and floors of the building, substantially as described. v

6. An invention of the class described embracing in its construction, a ri id steel earth-supported frame, and asupp emental frame suspended therefrom by a universal joint, said supplemental frame being constructed and arranged to carry the wallsand floors of the builchng, and resilient bufiers interposed between the two frames, substantially as described. j r

7. An invention of the class described embracing in its construction, a rigid steel earth supported frame, a supplemental frame suspended therefrom by a universal joint, said supplemental frame being constructed and arranged to carry the walls and floors of the building, and conduits carried by said supplemental frame and having flexible joint connection with conduits resting in the earth, substantially as described.

8. An invention of the class described embracing in its construction a skeleton iron frame constructed to carry the floors and walls of the building and means for supporting said frame to permit oscillation thereof without injury to the floors and walls, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 8th day of June, 1906.

SIZEPHEN R. H. CODMAN. DESIRE DESPRADELLE. In presence of- GEO. N. GODDARD, KATHARINE A. DUGAN. 

